A Favorite for the Whole Family and a Giveaway: The Gruffalo

Since having children I have enjoyed sharing my own favorite childhood stories with my boys, I have also enjoyed discovering new stories with them. Shortly after having my first son in 2009 I discovered, with the help of Grandma, a story called The Gruffalo, which was then celebrating its tenth year of publication. If you know our family, then this is the first book your child will receive as a present from us. If they like it as much as we do, it will be followed with The Gruffalo’s Child, then some sort of game or stuffed animal. It is one of those stories that sticks with you and just keeps getting better with each telling.

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< Spoilers – of a sort > On a crisp day, a little mouse sets off for a stroll in the woods. Along his way he encounters many foes who would devour him but for his cunning and quick thinking. Announcing that he is meeting up with a far scarier creature than they, he describes the Gruffalo, an animal so fierce and vile as to send all predators running for the hills. Feeling quite well of himself, the mouse is shocked to turn a corner and discover that his imaginary protector is real, and wishes to snack on him! Gathering his wits, the mouse leads the Gruffalo back through the woods, back past his predators and by the time he has woven his tale, has sent the Gruffalo running in fear.< /Spoilers >

Image: Amazon.com

Written by Julia Donaldson, the story is simple, the rhymes are clever and the repetition makes it feel instantly familiar without ever becoming tiring. It’s mixture of fantasy and reality are the perfect blend for the childhood imagination. Along the lines of Roger Hargreaves and Roald Dahl, The Gruffalo sneaks in that spark of the unusual, the different, to a young audience. Also, just as the work of Roald Dahl is incomplete without the illustrations of Quentin Blake, the story of the Gruffalo is enhanced by the magnificent illustrations of Axel Scheffler, whose most recent work can be seen on Nosy Crow’s newest app, Animal SnApp: Farm in anticipation of his book Flip Flap Farm. The pair have collaborated on well over a dozen stories together, in The Pinault home alone you will find Tabby McTat, the Musical Cat, Charlie Cook’s Favorite Book and The Smartest Giant in Town are regulars in the night time rotation.

This story has been a hit with every child we have introduced it to. In fact it is a hit worldwide and has spawned a sequel, two movies, many games and an extensive line of merchandise. Perfect for a Geeklet to obsess over. Over here in the US, the toys are available from Kid’s Preferred, the company that has brought many British classics, including Peter Rabbit and Spot to American children. As a British transplant I am glad to be able to access these items without importing them. After a recent Octonauts, Doc McStuffins trade off with friends back home, I’d like a little simplicity in my ability to raise good collectors!

The movies are equally entrancing. About twenty minutes long each, they are narrated by a mother squirrel voiced by Helena Bonham Carter. They feature the voices of Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter’s Hagrid), James Corden (Doctor Who’s Craig Owens), and John Hurt (Harry Potter’s Ollivander). But it is the music by the French composer René Aubry that really sets the movies apart from other animations. It is an absolute delight to listen to, wonderfully entertaining and calming at the same time. Thanks in large part to a beautiful score, it is one of those movies that you don’t mind your child getting addicted to, that you can watch or listen to many times over and not get exceedingly frustrated with!

To help another family discover this wonderful treasure of children’s literature, Kid’s Preferred has given GeekMom a copy of The Gruffalo and a hand puppet to give away to one of our readers. The perfect last-minute addition to any stocking. All you have to do is leave a comment, with a valid email address, letting us know what your favorite story has been to share with the children in your life, and why. Entries will be closed off at midnight on Friday, November 30th.

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